Florence (Firenze) is a walking city, you can walk from one side to the other in about 15 minutes. There is no need for a car at all - in fact most are not allowed in the city centre. Because of driving restrictions, Vespa and motorcycles are everywhere so watch out for them when walking around Florence. Have a good map and when in doubt use the Duomo or Ponte Vecchio to orient yourself. Taxis are located at taxi stands but the hotel will gladly call one for you. The airport is small and friendly. You can get a shuttle bus (around 4,50 euro per person) or a taxi (around 25 euro per car) to reach the centre and it takes about 20 minutes. Even if we are well know, it is handy to have the name and address of the hotel on a piece of paper that you can hand to a taxi driver . As a general rule more Italians in Florence speak English than in other parts of Italy but there are still quite a few that do not. Attempt a few kind words in Italian and they will greatly appreciate the effort.
Sight to see:
- Duomo
- Accademia to see Michelangelo's David
- Santa Croce (earthly remains of Michelangelo and Galileo and to see Giotto's frescoes)
- Uffizi Museum
- Piazza della Signoria and Palazza Vecchio
- Stroll across the Ponte Vecchio (otherwise known as the "bridge of gold" because of all the jewelry stores!)
- Pitti Palace
- Boboli Gardens
- Museo dell'Opera del Duomo (directly behind the Duomo and smaller scale than others). Get the headset to listen to as it really makes it far more meaningful to know what you are seeing
- Ferragamo Shoe Museum
Notes: Many museums are closed on Monday but not churches which they are closed instead to visitors on sunday mornings.
Eating
Gelato(ice cream) is a must. The one you can get at La Carraia, situated next the Carraia bridge, is amazing. In Florentine's cafès ("bar") you can get coffee, alcoholic drinks, sandwiches, pastries and lot of other things. Breakfast, except in the hotel, is not a big affair. For the most part Italians just grab a coffee and a pastry. If you choose to sit down, there might be an extra charge. In many bars (cafès) you go up to the counter and pay. With the receipt in your hand you stand at the bar and ask for your coffee and pastry ("cornetto" is the classic).
Most restaurants do not open until 7,00 pm at dinner time (our usual time is about 8,30 pm) Restaurant and food recommendations: -Ostaria dei Cento Poveri (here you can have pizza, seafood as well as tradional food - good prices - typical florentine trattoria)-Traditional food: Pappardelle (pasta) al Cinghiale (boar) or Pappardelle alla Lepre (hare) or Pappardelle ai Funghi Porcini (mushrooms) - Florentine Steak (beef) or Tagliata (fillet steak in strips) - Cantuccini di Prato con Vin Santo (almond biscuits with holy wine) - 5 minutes walk from the hotel. -Ristorante La Spada (tradional food - especially grill meat - good prices) - 5 minutes walk from the hotel. -Ristorante Giglio Rosso - next to hotel - convenient position from hotel (next door) -Trippaio (food stall specializing in tripe - very cheap - usually you have a bread roll with tripe together with a glass of red wine of course standing in the street).
Shopping:
Things to buy in Florence are leather goods (coats, shoes, etc.), gold (head for Ponte Vecchio), wood golden painted trays and the Florentine writing paper (which you can still buy in some old shops in the San Lorenzo area). The San Lorenzo market is an open air market with rows and rows of stalls at which it can be fun to shop with bargains to be had (they expect you to negotiate price). It can also be a little overwhelming. Beyond the open air market is a large building that houses Florence's central market, Mercato Centrale di San Lorenzo. This is an absolute must! Even if you don't want to buy anything you will see food here you will never see at home like wild boar, cow's stomachs and horse meat. If you buy cheese (Pecorino Nero di Pienza for example) make sure you are able to bring it back with you (customs rules). For great window shopping head towards Via dei Tornabuoni (Armani, Gucci, Versace, Coveri and Ferragamo).
